Brian Ó Domhnaill (Fianna Fail)

I raise this issue on behalf of the farming community in County Donegal and, in particular, small farmers and business owners. It is European Union and Government policy to meter and, accordingly, charge businesses and individuals who use water for non-domestic purposes. Donegal County Council appointed consultants, Laing O'Rourke, to carry out countywide metering of non-domestic customers to give it an insight into the full cost of providing water and waste water services to the non-domestic sector. Following the survey, it was discovered approximately 7,500 non-domestic units had meters connected to the water supply and a further 500 are also being billed, bringing the total number of bills issued by the local authority to approximately 8,000.

Farming organisations, including in particular the IFA, have highlighted that many bills are issued to small farmers. Elderly small farmers come into my clinics who may have only one sheep or cow, yet they receive a bill with a standing charge of €350 and, in some instances, charges for water they have not used. There are huge discrepancies in the system. I acknowledge that Donegal County is willing to discuss issues on a one-to-one basis and it is accommodating. However, the issue is causing mayhem and panic nationwide. For example, I was contacted on Christmas Eve by two elderly farmers in their 80s who were crying because of this issue, which must be examined.

I call on the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to introduce a tiered system whereby smaller users incur a lower charge than larger users. A farmer with two or three sheep cannot be compared with a farmer with 200 or 300 sheep and incur the same charge. A tiered approach must be taken to this. Local authorities face budgetary constraints and they are under financial pressure. They must collect money, but departmental officials should discuss this issue with county mangers to bring about a resolution that would ease the burden on farmers and small businesses.

I also refer to the non-imposition of the property tax on holiday homes. It is estimated there are 9,000 such homes in Donegal. Many of the owners of these homes live in Northern Ireland and they have not received bills for the tax on their holiday homes. It is unfair when local retired farmers who contributed to the State through the years are being billed for water while holiday home owners from Northern Ireland are not being billed. The Minister should also examine the issue. Many of my council colleagues in Donegal have raised concerns about this issue. The Minister of State will understand and I hope she will relay my concerns to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. The issue must be examined on compassionate grounds. Scope must be given to local authorities to make discretionary decisions that are favourable to local small farmers in particular.